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Corel PaintShop Pro Review

Corel PaintShop Pro offers a comprehensive solution of photo editing tools at an affordable price, making it one of the best photo editing software programs today. A wide variety of editing controls makes it easy for users to adjust, design, and create visual compositions.

PC Compatibility Requirements

Adobe Elements requirements for Windows operating systems include the following:

6 GHz + processor with SSE2 support functions

Windows 7 with Service Pack 1, Windows 8 or Windows 10. Note that 32-bit systems are not supported with Adobe Photoshop Elements

At least 4 GB of RAM and 7 GB of hard drive space

Display resolution of 1,024 x 768 is required, and a compatible display driver.

Adobe Photoshop Elements requires either a DVD-ROM drive or an Internet connection for software installation

Setup

Users are advised to close all open programs, log out of antivirus software, and turn off firewall applications as these may affect the installation of the program. On-screen prompts will advise you how to continue the installation process after downloading.

User Interface

Corel has been spruced up since previous editions, adding additional help functionality and learning features. The help windows also assist with 3-mode workspace options. Once you’ve dismissed the tutorial windows, you will see multiple dialog boxes walking you through the user interface components. This takes place in a guided tour format, it helps to get you started quickly and easily with Corel PaintShop. Users will see sample images to assist at every step of the process.

The 3 main program modes are edit, manage, and adjust. Everything takes place from the same window, but you can switch between them for different functionality. Touch functionality is not accommodated, and this is certainly an area where improvements can be made.

Editing Tools

One of the most powerful tools at Corel is the curves tool. There are 16 control points and they allow for incredible effects to be created. Other notable features include an upgraded RAW photo editor, automatic photo correction, and a host of other time-saving tools, like batch processing and content-aware object removal. The program also provides strong text editing tools, and a retro lab which allows for adjustments of color, diffusion, glow, and blurring.

Features and Specifications

Some of the new features available with Corel PaintShop include brochure, card and collage templates. You can drag any of your images into these predesigned layer groups. 100 royalty-free backgrounds are available in the Ultimate version of the software.

Corel’s Smart Capture functionality makes it very easy to capture screenshots by simply hovering over the precise location you’d like to capture.

Import and Export Options

While you’re in the edit mode of the program, images can be exported to the following formats: PNG, JPEG and GIF. Images can be shared directly with Facebook and Flickr. Unfortunately, though it’s one of the best photo editing apps on the market, it doesn’t yet allow for Instagram sharing or Twitter, but those are in the pipeline. For import/export options, it’s possible to upload the full size of the image, or reduce their sizes to make it easier and quicker to transmit the images.

Pricing

The price of Corel PaintShop Pro is currently $49.99 (discounted from a price of $99.99) and the upgrade is $39.99 (regularly $79.99). There are many different versions and price points of PaintShop Pro products. For PaintShop Pro X9, there is a 50% saving +1 bonus item, and for AfterShot Pro 3, there is a 20% saving +1 bonus item. Budget-conscious photographers should consider Corel a worthy contender for being the best photo editor that won’t break the bank.

Bottom Line

For users looking for photo editing software that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, Corel PaintShop Pro is high value. This quality photo editor has a wide range of effect filters, content-aware automations, and gradients, putting it on par with competitors like Adobe Photoshop Elements.

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